Several caves in the Wedington Unit, Boston Mountains Ranger District, Ozark-St. Francis National Forest have been closed recently due to habitation by Indiana bats. It is my understanding that the bats hibernate from October until April in the caves (probably less here in Arkansas) and then move to roosts in woodlands. Some papers I read indicate that they prefer hardwoods on ridgetops, and that is where thier maternity colonies are. A few bats may occasionally enter the caves during the summer months, but at this point disturbing them would not interupt hibernation and should not harm them. I was wondering what approach is taken in other areas. It seems to me that since the bats use the caves only from October to April, cavers visiting during the summer should not be any problem. I could even understand keeping the cave locked and requiring a permit to keep close tabs on the cave. I talked to the ranger and he refered me to the biologist, whom I have not yet spoken to. Have any of you had experience with the USFS in a similar situation?
The caves are small, but have some nice formations and were great when I lived in Fayetteville because they are so close. The location of one is widely known, but it still had few visitors prior to gating. The others are hard to find and very rarely visited. Some do not have gates yet and I am not sure if the USFS knows they are there.